FERGUS FALLS – Bob Reipe has been on a mission the last two years: giving a voice and a name to those buried in a forgotten cemetery outside of Fergus Falls.
Years ago, when impoverished immigrants in Otter Tail County could not afford a grave for their loved ones, the dead ended up at the Poor Farm Cemetery. That cemetery disappeared in the weeds, until now.
At the end of a dusty, thorny farmfield road, 176 people are finally getting the honor and recognition that has taken more than a century. In the late 1800s and early 1900s in Otter Tail County, those with nothing went to the Poor Farm when they died.
"127 of them more than likely came from dying at the poor farm and being buried here," Reipe says. "However, anybody that died in the county jail during this time, and had no relatives, was buried out here. There's murderers that's buried out here. Actually, a couple of them."
Bob Reipe has been on a journey that began when he discovered the cemetary.
"This looked just like this field over here," he says while looking at the site. "It was tall grass. No markers whatsoever. It was farmed until 1978."
Reipe cleared the cemetery of weeds and brush over the past few years. He did the research, found out who is buried here, and marked all the graves.
It was months of work. Number 60 is Peter Nelson. Number 80 is Anna Larson.
Some others have a little history.
"Lulu Harris, she ran the house of ill repute in Fergus Falls and was murdered back in 1886," Reipe says.
And number one: a vet.
"The first person buried ont here is a Civil War vet," he says.
Reipe has ten graves yet to identify. In the meantime, shrubs have been planted.
"And dignity at last is basically the name of the project," he says.
A flag is up and it just feels right here.
If Bob ever questioned if all this work was worth it, it took just one simple phone call from the Twin Cities. A family wanting to come here and visit the grave of a loved one for the first time.
"Brought them out here took them over there to that exact spot and said, 'Yes, this is where he's buried.' And she fell to her knees and began to cry. And right then I thought it's all worth it."
It's a peaceful place surrounded by corn and soybean fields and rolling hills and a lake.
"Poor. Everybody that's out here had that one thing in common. They were all poor," Reipe says.
More than a century after a forgotten trip to poor farm cemetery, Reipe is finally giving the men and women here a final resting place.
This cemetery is near, but not part of the old State Hospital Cemetery that has been restored.
Reipe has written a novel based on a man named Buck from Perham, Minnesota, who is buried at the Poor Farm. For more information on the author and his upcoming appearances, click here.